Summer at Lavender Bay

by Sarah Bennett

  His friends and neighbours from the surrounding farms were lined up to arrive at first light. Most were family owned and run, same as them, and with each growing different crops their harvest times fell in different weeks, so they rotated their combined labour through the peak weeks of the summer. It was a damn sight cheaper than hiring in temporary field workers, and for Jack at least, it gave him a sense of security that the others all knew exactly what they were doing.

  The Grosso was the first to ripen and would hopefully all be harvested within half a day. Once the plants were cut, a small team of ladies from town would spend the following few days sorting, bunching and hanging the lavender to dry and the shed would ring with their laughter and chatter. The bulk of the remaining crop—the Old English—looked like it’d be ready the following week from his inspection that afternoon. Harvesting that would take longer, but once it was in the shed, Jack could handle the task of transferring it into the enormous vats himself with the assistance of a couple of the herdsmen from a local dairy farm. They fit their hours with him around milking time, and welcomed the extra money he put in their pocket at holiday time.

  Jack blinked and realised they’d come to a stop outside a large set of double-doors. Eliza was watching him with a half-smile on her lips. ‘Everything all right? I think I lost you there for a moment.’

  ‘Sorry.’ He raised her hand to press a kiss to it. ‘I was miles away.’

  ‘Knee-deep in your fields, I’ll bet.’ There was no censure in her tone, but his conscience still gave a guilty twinge. The evening had been his idea after all.

  ‘You have my undivided attention from now, I promise,’ Jack said as he held open one of the doors for her.

  ‘You’d better spare a little for the film, too,’ she teased.

  They found their seats in the mostly empty screen. The enormous cup of soda was too big to fit in the holder on his armrest, so Jack placed it on the floor by his feet then wiped his freezing, wet hand on the leg of his jeans. Seeing what he’d done, Eliza pulled a face. ‘Sorry, I should have paid more attention when I was ordering it.’

  ‘Forget about it.’ Jack lifted his arm. ‘Come here.’ With a smile, she propped her arm on the rest between them and leaned into his hold. He curled his other arm across his body and linked their hands together. ‘That’s better. I’ve been thinking about this all day.’

  Eliza tilted her head up. ‘Me too.’

  Jack cast a surreptitious glance around the room. They were tucked discreetly on the far end of the aisle near the wall and the few people scattered around weren’t paying any attention to them—either intent on their own conversations or staring at their phones. It wasn’t the ideal place, but it was private enough. ‘I’ve got something for you.’ He fumbled in the pocket of his jeans then drew out the surprise he’d been working on for her.

  Eliza’s eyes lit up as he placed the small object wrapped in tissue paper in her palm. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Open it and find out.’ It was something and nothing, an idea which had come to him when he’d watched her using different moulds to shape her soap.

  He held his breath while she carefully peeled open the paper. ‘Oh, Jack.’

  The bruised thumb and the cut on his palm he’d sustained whilst carving the square of wood were more than worth it for the way she said his name. ‘It’s so you can stamp your logo into your soaps, the same way you’ve been stitching it onto the clothes you make. It’s all about branding, right?’

  Her gaze glittered, even in the relative gloom of the screening room. ‘I don’t know what to say. It’s perfect! It must’ve taken you hours to carve.’

  You’d think he’d given her a diamond ring or an expensive designer piece by her reaction, but then his Eliza wasn’t one for the material things. Thrilled at her obvious joy over the little stamp, Jack ducked his head and pressed his mouth to hers, relishing the sweet yielding as she opened for him. All his worries about the morning melted away in the tender heat of their kiss.

  He lost track of time, lost track of everything but the warm press of lips and tongues until something thudded into the back of his seat. Surprised had him jerking back from Eliza, and he turned his head to see a pair of women about his mum’s age fussing with cardigans, bags and a large tub of popcorn before finally settling into the seats behind them.

  ‘Oh, don’t mind us, dear,’ the woman directly behind him said, with a wink.

  Her companion nudged her arm. ‘In our day the back row was reserved for that kind of thing, wasn’t it, Janice?’

  With his face feeling like it was on fire, Jack offered the pair an apologetic smile then turned back to find Eliza shaking with suppressed laughter. He slunk down in his seat as far as possible, not easy with legs as long as his, and tried to pretend he wasn’t there. Thankfully, the house lights went down, sparing his blushes, and music began to blast from the surround-sound speakers.

  They made it through an interminable round of adverts, trailers and jokey warning films asking patrons to switch off their phones. From the myriad glowing squares he could see, it was clear the last had little-to-no impact on most of the audience. The BBFC notice filled the screen and the noise around the room hushed to the odd cough and the rustle of sweet wrappers. Jack squeezed Eliza’s hand and focused on the opening credits.

  He made it about thirty minutes into the film before admitting to himself they’d made a terrible mistake. It was awful. Jack had never considered himself uptight before, but the parade of penis jokes and rank misogyny on the screen made Noah’s fart jokes appear sophisticated in comparison. His knees were also starting to ache from being scrunched in one position for too long.

  With a sigh, he shifted around in his seat then bent down to retrieve their drink. He nudged Eliza and offered her the drink; she shook her head. One sip and he winced, wishing he hadn’t bothered. The ice had melted, leaving a watered-down sickly syrup that in no way resembled the top brand soda it claimed to be. He dumped the cup back on the floor, then settled back in his seat.

  Eliza rested her head on his shoulder and he glanced down to see her staring up at him. ‘This is the worst film I’ve ever seen in my life,’ she whispered.

  Oh, thank God! ‘Me, too. Do you want to get out of here?’ There was a narrow aisle between his seat and the wall, meaning they wouldn’t have to clamber across everyone else to escape. Taking her hand, he ducked out of his seat and they fumbled their way down the stairs to the bottom section of the seating. He paused to check there was nothing vital happening on the screen, then strode out into the wide cross-aisle towards the exit. A couple of murmurs reached his ears, but he kept walking, keeping Eliza close beside him until they rounded the edge of the seating and into the dark corridor leading to the exit.

  With a quick shove of his shoulder against the door, they stumbled out of the darkness and paused to blink in the harsh overhead lights. Eliza clung to his arm, laughing and shaking her head. ‘Oh, that was awful! That bit with the dog…’

  Jack shuddered. ‘Don’t remind me, please! I can’t believe everyone else was laughing so hard.’

  ‘Maybe it’s us? Maybe there’s something wrong with us that we didn’t find it funny.’ Eliza shrugged.

  ‘If we’re wrong because of that, I can live with it,’ Jack said as he hooked an arm around her shoulders and they began to stroll towards the main exit. They hit the pavement outside and he paused to survey the other entertainments on offer. From what he could see, all the restaurants looked full, and they’d already agreed to eat before going out anyway. So that left one or other of the bars, or the ten-pin bowling alley. None of it appealed, but he’d promised Eliza a proper date night. ‘What else do you want to do?’

  ‘I don’t mind, you can choose.’ Eliza didn’t sound any more enthusiastic about any of it than he felt.

  All he wanted was to go somewhere quiet and just be with her. ‘There’s a really nice spot on the way back to the farm, we could just park up under the stars and listen
to the sea.’

  She snuggled into his side, her arm curling around his waist. ‘Sounds perfect.’

  ‘Just over there, on the right.’ Jack pointed across Eliza to indicate the large passing area to the side of the road. It was wide enough to accommodate a tractor and trailer, but there was so little traffic on the private road, he’d only ever used it as somewhere to sit and enjoy his lunch, or chill out at the end of a busy day. Eliza steered her car into the space, parking at a right angle to the road so they faced out over the town towards the sea beyond.

  Jack lowered his window fully, letting the warm evening breeze drift in. Eliza did likewise, turned off the radio and placed her phone on the centre of the dashboard between them. The warm, sultry tones of a female singer he’d never heard of filled the car. ‘Playing songs to you is much nicer when we’re actually in the same place.’

  He couldn’t agree more. Unhooking his belt, he turned sideways as Eliza twisted up onto her seat so she could lean across the handbrake towards him. Their lips met, and Jack slid his hands into the soft river of her curls, drawing her closer. She jolted against something. ‘Ow.’

  Jack sat back and watched Eliza rub her knee. Frustration rose in him. He was thirty bloody years old, what the hell were they doing fooling around in the front seat of a car? It was fruitless to be annoyed, though. They couldn’t go back to the farm without disturbing his mum, and possibly Noah, which would put a definite kibosh on anything remotely romantic. The pub would be even worse, between Eliza’s family and any guests who were staying.

  His eyes roved over the soft street lights of the town below them. It was high season, so the guesthouses and hotels would likely be full, and it felt a bit seedy to even think about sneaking her down into one. He sighed; they’d have to make the best of what they had. If he pushed his seat back, maybe…

  ‘Come around to my side of the car,’ he said as he opened the passenger door wide.

  Eliza did as he said, waiting outside until he’d rolled his seat back as far as it would go, then tilted the back down about halfway. He patted his lap. ‘Sit sideways so your legs can hang out the door.’

  She turned her back to him, then sank down across his thighs. ‘You’re full of good ideas.’ Her voice was a soft murmur as she leaned her head against his chest and he curled an arm around her back to support her.

  ‘Needs must, and all that.’ Jack pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the seat.

  The music wove a spell around them, and the warm air carried the tangy-sweet scent of saltwater and lavender to wrap them in the scents of home and hearth. Totally relaxed for the first time since she’d arrived on his doorstep, Jack catalogued the feel of her in his arms. The weight of her head on his shoulder, the way her hair tickled against his cheek. The lush curve of her breast resting on his forearm where he encircled her. The press of her hip against his groin. She felt good, right, like she belonged there.

  He drifted, not asleep, but not altogether conscious when something warm and wet touched the underside of his chin. He stirred into full wakefulness as the touch came again—Eliza’s tongue tracing the side of his neck between his jaw and his ear. A groan rose in his throat which he quickly stifled, not wanting to do anything that might distract her. Her tongue flickered again, and then her lips closed over the pulse point in his neck and she sucked lightly.

  Head swimming, he let his hand glide over the sweep of curves from her breast to her thighs, the silky material of her dress beneath his fingers adding another sensation to those already whirling through him. ‘Touch me.’ She breathed the words against his throat and his hand was already skimming halfway under the skirt of her dress when he gripped her thigh and wrangled himself back under control.

  ‘We don’t have to do this…when I suggested we come up here, it wasn’t because I expected anything from you.’ He wanted to touch her, God, he’d wanted to since the first moment their mouths had fused. The need to touch her, to glide his hand higher and feel her come apart burned like a breath held too long. But, he didn’t expect to touch her unless she absolutely wanted it.

  Eliza sat back and raised her hands to cup his face. With the rays of the setting sun haloing around her, it was hard to make out her expression, but the press of her fingers was as compelling as her tone. ‘I want this, Jack. I want you, right here, right now.’

  He swallowed the last word in a searing kiss, using his lips, his tongue, and then his hands to show her all the things he felt, but didn’t have the words to say. She met him press for press, stroke for stroke, until her dress was a silken tangle on the backseat and his shirt was lost somewhere on the ground outside the open car door.

  Eliza ended up perched across his thighs, the lace of her bra rasping his chest as her breath came in little pants. Her nimble fingers busied at his waistband, tugging the button and then the zip. Jack sucked in a breath as her knuckles brushed against him and he had to brace her weight, so she could lift up enough to help him wriggle his jeans down. ‘Wait, in my wallet…’ He managed to grind out the words with what little bit of his brain still functioned enough for rational thought.

  Thankfully, she understood his meaning, found it in his pocket and retrieved the condom tucked into a spare credit card slot. As she rustled the wrapper, Jack reached down beside him, hunted for, then found the handle to lower the back of his seat as far as it would go. And then there was no more room for thought because her hands were on him, sheathing him, guiding him, then sliding up his chest to grip his shoulders as she settled the heat of her around him.

  The close confines of the car limited their movements, turning the act of their union into an exquisite slow dance of shifting muscles and rolling hips. In those slow, heated moments as the sun slipped below the waves in a final blaze of pink, purple and red, all the words he thought he didn’t have came spilling off his tongue in a litany of praise, encouragement and love. ‘So sweet…so damn sexy.’ And later. ‘God, you’re beautiful, my darling.’ And as they wound each other higher than he’d ever dreamed possible—‘I love you, Eliza, love you so much.’

  After, they sprawled together in a tangle of twisted clothing and limbs, sweat cooling on their skin in the soft breeze. The music from her phone had cut out at some point, leaving only the sounds of the night. A soft rustle of a nocturnal animal in the hedgerow lining the road, the rhythmic, otherworldly cry of an owl, and beneath it all the susurration of waves breaking on the shore of the bay far below them. Eliza stirred against his chest. ‘It’s getting late.’

  ‘Mmm.’ Still sated, it was about all he could manage as a response.

  Her fingers traced patterns through the smattering of hair on his upper chest. ‘You’ve got a long day tomorrow, if it would help you out then I could take Noah for a few hours. I need to prep the bar in the morning, but I’m sure Dad would be happy to keep him occupied and then I can take him for an afternoon picnic on the beach.’

  It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse, worried about taking advantage of her generosity and dumping Noah off on people he didn’t really know didn’t seem fair on the boy. Before he could say anything, Eliza rested a finger against his lips. ‘You don’t have to do everything alone, Jack. I know you want to protect Noah, but I think it’s important for me to spend some time with him.’

  His need for control warred with the sheer practicalities of trying to look after Noah. ‘I just want to give him the same care and attention Jason did. He always made it seem so effortless.’

  Eliza rested her head against his cheek. ‘He had you and your mum to help him. Without him, you’ve got all that extra work and one less pair of hands.’

  ‘I never thought about it that way.’ He’d been so intent on being the perfect replacement for Jason, he’d lost sight of the fact they’d all worked as a team to raise Noah. And that team was missing a key player. ‘Well, he did ask to meet you tonight…’

  ‘And we’ll only be a few minutes away.
If anything happens, or if Noah decides he’s had enough I’ll bring him straight back home.’ She cupped his cheek. ‘I’m here, Jack.’

  ‘I know.’ And it meant more to him than he could possibly say.

  A yawn cracked her jaw and she snuggled sleepily against him. ‘We should really make a move…’

  Capturing her fingers, he lifted them to his mouth for a kiss before placing their clasped hands back on his chest. ‘Five more minutes, beauty. Just let me hold you like this for five more minutes.’

  Once they let the real world back in, they’d be caught up once more in their tangles of responsibility. The farm would be controlled chaos for the rest of the month, and finding time to be alone together would be a challenge. So while he had her here in his arms, he would make the moment last for as long as he could.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ‘Smug.’ Libby’s pronouncement made Eliza pause in the act of restocking one of the fridges behind the bar and glance up at her friend. And in doing so, she forgot what Libby had said as her latest look startled her again. Eliza thought she’d seen every possible combination of hairstyle from her, but this morning’s new look was something else again. The left-hand side had been bleached and dyed canary yellow, whilst the right glowed fluorescent pink. She reminded Eliza of one of those rhubarb-and-custard penny sweets she’d loved as a child.

  Libby’s wild hair had been a part of her for so long that it rarely gave those close to her pause for thought. And, until today, Eliza would have sworn that Libby changed her look for no other person than herself. She studied the halo of gelled spikes around her friend’s face with a frown. For the first time, it seemed to Eliza she was deliberately trying to provoke a reaction. From who, though?

  A bag of crisps from the box Libby was emptying into a large basket for display on the bar came sailing through the air towards Eliza. She ducked just in time. ‘What was that for?’